How I Gained 25 lbs this Summer

WORKEROUTER

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In short, I went from 5'8 150 to 5'8 175 this summer, between June and now. I'm 20 years old.

I've always worked out, but I was never really serious. I would do complex exercises, etc, but they would be inconsistent and so on. I was 160 at one point but began eating badly (not enough) and was training MMA which forced lots of cardio and made me drop since my eating was bad.

This summer was different though. Changes:

-Workouts AT LEAST 3 times a week: I would work out for three or four days a week, every other day, hitting my major muscle groups in a basic split. I would focus on HEAVY COMPLEX LIFTS...i.e. Bench, Hack Squat, Presses, Rows, etc.

-I lift HEAVY: None of that high rep stuff, in general. I like to stay anywhere from 1-8 reps, sometimes 12.

- I Work with FURY: People comment on how much I push myself in the gym. One guy claimed how in awe he was of my fury. I went from a bench max of 185 to a max of 270 which I pressed last Monday. ALL of my lifts have inreased and I make gains EVERY WEEK. I don't allow myself not too. I prepare myself both physically and mentally. Here are some of my latest goals:

-Max Bench 270
-Calf Raise 300
-8 Reps Wide Grip Pullups with 50 lbs weight attached
-65 lbs DB bicep curls for a set of 8

I approach my lifts with conviction and do not let pessimism enter the weight room. It's always NOW in there, not the next set, not next week. Everything is possible. I saw someone bench 445 the other week. I realized I will one day be doing that.

-I Listen to my Body: Sometimes I won't lift one day because I can tell that my body needs to rest. Instead I'll take a hot bath or maybe just a brisk walk. Other days I feel such fury and loaded testosterone that I'll work out for 2 hours straight! Now some people might say that's overtraining, but its not...because I'm in tune with my own body and know what I can handle and not.

-I eat lots of FOOD: I eat tons of food. Some days I eat over 4000 calories! I eat GOOD foods that boost testosterone. LOTS OF eggs, yogurt, milk, red meat, oats, peanut butter, chicken, tuna, wheat bread, fruit, veggies, whey, cheese, brown rice, etc. I eat POWER FOODS like GARLIC, GINGER, ONIONS, etc, especially if I can feel my body getting sick. At one point when I felt a cold coming on I ate 5 cloves of raw garli with water. Needless to say, I didn't have any problems after that (except for when I went to workout later and stunk). Sometimes I like to eat burgers and burritos too. I'll even on occasion eat bacon, mozeralla sticks, and other tasty treats. I don't gorge on these treats of course. All of my foods are relatively cheap too, so I really don't even spend that much money. I also PARTITION my meals so that I MAXIMIZE NUTRIENT ABSORPTION.

-I take GOOD SUPPLEMENTS: I take the best supplements I can afford. Probiotics, Multivitamins, Fish Oils, Coconut Oil, ZMA occasionally, Glucosomine, Whey. I don't bother with creatine and stuff because I didn't notice anything special about it.

- I drink lots of WATER: Your muscles need to be hydrated and your joints lubricated. That's why I make sure to drink lots of WATER. I also like to occasionally have a VItamin Water Energy drink during my workouts.

-I SLEEP: Sleep is great. Sometimes I go to bed late and only get 6 hours of sleep. That's when I take a nap in the afternoon for a couple hours. I try to get as much sleep as I can. On a couple occasions when I've annihilated my body I'll sleep for over 10 hours (very seldom though).

-I have SEX: Having sex makes you satisfy your inner primal need of existence and gives you a better workout experience, in my opinion. Jerking off is okay too I guess but doesn't fulfill that carnal need, i.e., nothing compares to touching and feeling a woman all over as you make love to her. The passion that you can emit is such a potent force. It makes you realize your true animalistic tendencies. I usually try to be sexual with a couple different women every week. Sometimes, school and work get in the way, but I do my best.

-I don't worry too much about LITTLE STUFF: I don't worry about conforming to all the naysayers out there who are more interested in lifting science than actually lifting. I lift hard, I eat hard, I sleep hard, and I above all I try to connect to my own personal existence. I am not disdaining the idea of always being educated more, etc, but nothing will substitute for pushing yourself to the edge.

-I TRY NEW THINGS: Sometimes I like to try different lifts, or rearrange my workouts, or take different rest periods, etc., just to CHANGE THINGS UP. Flexibility is representative of vitality.

-I do it for ME: Some people lift for chicks, other people, etc. I use to when I was younger but then realized I wasn't getting anywhere. I lift now for MYSELF. It feels good to feel my body grow and see myself do what I though was so hard and difficult before. People get disillusioned when they learn that chicks don't fall all over you even you're a strong motherf*cker. In fact, my gains have very little in my opinion helped me pull more chicks. I pulled just as many when I was a little guy. It's all about confidence and doing the approaches, charisma, etc. Nothing wrong with lifting to look more attractive, but if you link it with definately getting laid more, then you're going to get dissapointed, and since that was your initial motivation, you'll turn into the little guy you were before, just more pissed off.

These are the things I can think of off my head that have made me successful this summer. And BTW, that 25 lbs wasn't of fat, either. It was mostly muscle. There was some weight around my waist that i added ( i.e. I don't have the perfect six pack), but I'm still pretty cut up. In my opinion, I can always cut that off. My back, chest, arms, legs, thighs have all grown.

Shirts that use to be BIG are now TIGHT. To those of you who complain about genetics, etc., mine aren't great at all. My dad is scrawny, my mom's side is skinny, and I've always been that small kid. People would call me skinny and scrawny, etc. But I always had a lot of heart and was strong for my size. I liked to push myself to the limit and make impossible relative to the person who embraces it.
 

KontrollerX

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Good work man.

Dedication and consistency really pays off.
 

Warboss Alex

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Workerouter, congrats on your progress!! You make excellent points in everything you say, and to gain that much weight in such a short period is a testament to your hard work.

Guys - this is how to gain muscular weight. Take note!

Of course, there's many people who'll say that 25lbs in 3 months is impossible and that you shouldn't eat eggs .. ;)
 

Francisco d'Anconia

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WORKEROUTER

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Well I eat a lot of food and take good multis that are pretty loaded with zinc. I don't want to get TOO much zinc, as it can be toxic.
 

Francisco d'Anconia

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WORKEROUTER said:
Well I eat a lot of food and take good multis that are pretty loaded with zinc. I don't want to get TOO much zinc, as it can be toxic.
Ahhh, got'cha....
 

WORKEROUTER

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My workouts are always different. I mix up set numbers, rep numbers, break periods, etc. But what I do make sure I do is ALWAYS increase the number of reps I do for a weight or the weight amount.

Here is a workout I might do for chest/tricep/ab day.

-Bench Press (4 sets)
-Set of abs
-Incline Bench(4 sets)
-Set of abs
-Decline Bench (2 sets)
-Set of abs
-Close Grip Bench (3 sets)
-Set of abs
-Tricep pushdowns or skullcrushers (4 sets)
-Weight dips (2 sets)


The focus is always on COMPLEX, HEAVY lifts with strict form, always pushing myself to the limit. I do dips with a 45 lbs dumbbell, and I can tricep pushdown the whole stack of weight we have.

I think it's important to enjoy going to the gym also. I'm not saying to make it a social hour like some people (i.e. weak people) do, but it is important in my opinion to have some fun in there. Get to know the guys in there. Have them help you reach your max and push you further. Help them as well. Stoic intensity is sometimes good as well, bu tit really makes keeping your schedule on track and so forth to know other guys who are serious to help keep you on track.

That workout may take about an 1 hour and a half.

In terms of diet,

Meal 1 Morning shake comprised of
-cup oats
-tbsp PB
-2 scoops whey
-3 cups water

Meal 2
3 whole eggs on a piece of wheat toast

Meal 3
Chicken Breast Spaghetti

Meal 4
Afternoon Shake

Meal 5
Beef and Bean Burritos (homemade with ground beef, pinto beans, cheddar cheese and salsa)

Meal 6
Cup yogurt and some fruit

Meal 7
PB Sandwich or a Tuna Sandwich

If it's workout day, I might have an extra shake. And of course I eat lots of veggies and fruits interspersed throughout the day. I also like to snack on whole almonds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, and sunflower kernels. I might also throw in a glass or two of milk throughout the day as well.

If I miss meals, which I usually don't because I don't like excuses, I might have to go to extreme measures and eat a really big couple meals. That of course is not optimal.

I also like to eat lots of onions and garlic. I drink organic green, white, and black teas. I take lots of fish oils, coconut oil, olive oil, probiotics (for intestinal health because let's face it digestion is everything), and so on.

Usually I aim for 3500-4000 calories.

I also like to meditate, even just for a few minutes each day, about where I'd like to be and where I'm going to be. We all have problems that can take us down not only in the weight room but in life in general...including relationship issues, family problems, financial issues, personal issues, etc....but it's important to take some time to get in touch with yourself. For me, there are several things that don't enter the gym. Pain does not enter the gym. Fear does not enter the gym. Your ephemeral problems do not enter the gym. Your longing for your ex-gf does not enter the gym
 

Kev07

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Congrats dude!

But NO WAY! You eat less than I do and yet I'm getting much slower gains, what gives! and yes, I do eat clean, with lots of red meat, eggs chicken etc. Though I don't take any supplements other than fish oil. My pre/after workout meals consist of milk, peanut butter and meat.
 

Warboss Alex

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Kev07 said:
But NO WAY! You eat less than I do and yet I'm getting much slower gains, what gives!
you simply have to eat more.. no two people have the exact same dietary requirements.
 

WORKEROUTER

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I'm definately not lucky. I had been one of the little/weak guys for over two years since I started college, and never really made any gains.

It wasn't until I started getting balsy that stuff happened.
 

WORKEROUTER

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Kev07 said:
Guy is lucky =/

And I have slow metabolism too, If I were to eat 3/4 of what I eat now, and don't work out as much i would start getting fat really quickly.
Well I don't quite see the problem. You need to start lifting harder and eating better. No way that your genetics could be possibly worse than mine.
 

Fuglydude

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wicked post bro... inspiring to say the least.
 
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